It is either because less noise is made about what they do in making sure your tour is smooth; or perhaps because their services are limited to a lucky \u2013 and chosen \u2013 few who have the luxury of sleeping in well-appointed hotels, riding posh rented cars and flying in planes.<\/p>\n
In Malawi, travel agents are not some copious entities with banners strewn everywhere, advertising their services. It would appear each one of them has some confidence in their services and believes good wine needs no bush.<\/p>\n
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), in 2016 all regions of the world, except the Middle East, saw increasing numbers of tourists with Africa recording the second highest growth rate of 8.3 percent.<\/p>\n
\u201cTourism is one of the most resilient and fast-growing economic sectors but it is also very sensitive to risks, both actual and perceived,\u201d UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, is reported to have said in a news release where he updated the world on tourism prospects.<\/p>\n
Malawi\u2019s tourism sector is unarguably in its infancy but statistics indicate that there is some mild growth even though it might be negligible.<\/p>\n
But visits to the country\u2019s lakeshore areas, game reserves and national parks and even hotels tell a story of a country that should capitalise on nature and wisdom. There, tourists \u2013 mostly international ones \u2013 abound and that should push stakeholders to ensure entities that they use are readily available in the country.<\/p>\n
According to the UNWTO, one critical thing about revamping tourism in countries that are struggling on the same is to ensure travel is simple and this includes information being readily available to tourists.<\/p>\n
That is where travel agents come in handy, according to Stella Mhango, who is Marketing Executive for Travelport Malawi, a subsidiary of a travel commerce platform by the same name which focuses on providing distribution, payment and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry.<\/p>\n
Mhango says as long as travel and tourism are concerned, travel agents and tour operators cannot be thrust onto the periphery.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey provide different kinds of services to travellers, whether it is booking tickets, accommodation or even hiring cars and we give them the system which they use. Everything is properly coordinated to ensure travellers get the services efficiently,\u201d says Mhango.<\/p>\n
Recently, Travelport Malawi awarded travel agents in Lilongwe for contributing to its growth and to the growth of the travel and tourism sector in Malawi.<\/p>\n
Mhango says the travel agent is at the centre of practically every travel business \u201cbecause they are the sellers of travel\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we recognise their contribution to the growth of the travel sector and of course our business. Essentially, they are our customers and we have to acknowledge their support. We have new products on the market and the travel agents are using them efficiently,\u201d says Mhango.<\/p>\n
Amid a challenging local economic environment, Mhango still sees a brighter future for Travelport Malawi. But that makes sense: agents serve people from all over the world and the world\u2019s average economy is, perhaps, what matters most.<\/p>\n
And with different technological advancements which Travelport is making, the future might indeed be bright.<\/p>\n
\u201cTowards the end of last year, we had grown our market share by 30 percent and this is something very big. With different products we make available to travel agents, I hope we will continue growing.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor instance, we have one of our new platforms which we call Travelport Smartpoint which has transformed the way the travel agents work and maximise revenue. They love it,\u201d says Mhango.<\/p>\n
In fact, the UNWTO observes that everyone in the tourism sector needs to better understand the impact of technology on the sector, and to maximise new opportunities that improve the competitiveness of destinations and help manage resources more effectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew technologies can contribute to making the tourism experience more accessible and rewarding for everyone; their development entails knowledge of the needs of all potential users, including seniors, persons with disabilities and others with reduced mobility,\u201d the UN agency says.<\/p>\n
And Mhango says Travelport follows all emerging trends in the travel sector and takes into consideration diverse needs of travellers, and this is through the travel agents.<\/p>\n
Managing Partner for The Travel Centre, Tsala Mapapa, says Travelport\u2019s systems which her company uses are \u201cabsolutely\u201d efficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a travel agent and tour operator, we use Travelport\u2019s systems in many ways. If you want to travel, you have to book an air ticket; you may want to hire a car or even accommodation outside or within Malawi. All this is done within the Travelport Smartpoint platform,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
She adds that the platform allows travel agents to have a wider knowledge of the world, particularly popular travel destinations so that they can also suggest locations that tourists and other travellers may wish to visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt The Travel Centre, everyone uses the Travelport Smartpoint because it allows us to easily access several services so that we meet the needs of travellers. Through it, we have access to information for many accommodations and travel arrangements,\u201d says Mapapa.<\/p>\n
So, she and several other travel agents play crucial roles in making sure travel is effective. Using different services, they will not only book your trip but also plan every detail of your journey, even though not a lot about them is out there in the public.<\/p>\n
In fact, a study by Google found that the average traveller looks at five videos and undertakes 380 web page visits through 34 different searches over a period of two months. This simply shows bookings can be time-consuming.<\/p>\n
\u201cBooking via travel agents can certainly save time and improve the overall travel experience. Travel professionals reduce stress and time constraints by making the corporate traveller\u2019s journey as smooth as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cBookings via travel agents can also be cheaper than bookings from several different providers as agents can create a package specifically for the corporate traveller including accommodations, flights and car rentals,\u201d says a hospitality facility called Worldhotels.<\/p>\n
So travel agents are, perhaps, much more than is said or seen about them. They have a key role in travel commerce and it would appear theirs is not so much a path less trodden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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